A
long line of dancers called the Rockettes kicked high and danced in
tight unison. The Flying Wallendas flew about on a trapeze. The
famous dancer and choreographer Martha Graham did her thing, and
actor Ray Bolger, who played the scarecrow in The
Wizard of Oz,
did his. Other acts, too, participated in the lavish opening show of
Radio City Music Hall.
Billionaire
John D. Rockefeller was building the Rockefeller Center in what had
been a crummy part of Manhattan, and he decided to make a music hall
the major attraction of the center. The theater, an Art Deco
masterpiece with a 60-foot-wide and 100-foot-long stage, opened on
this date in 1932, and thousands of people came to see the opening.
(The theater has around 6,000 seats!)
It
was, at the time, the largest indoor theater in the world.
 |
| The Rockettes do some nifty "wave" tricks during their shows. |
Apparently
the variety show format was a bit of a flop—most of the acts seemed
lost on that huge stage. Radio City Music Hall soon began to be used
to show movies. However, large-scale stage shows are shown there,
too, including the Rockettes in their famous Christmas spectacular.
That show alone draws more than a million people every year.
Since
opening night, Radio City Music Hall has entertained more than 300
million people!
And—guess
what?—Radio City Music Hall STILL lays claim to being the largest
indoor theater in the world!
Dabble
in Art Deco
Find
out what we mean by “Art Deco” at Fun Kids,
and enjoy galleries of photos of Art Deco woodwork, glass, and
architecture at DecoPix.
Also
on this date:
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